“. . . in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” Titus 1:2
Worldly vs. biblical hope
We don’t have a great understanding of what hope is. We can think of hope as wishful thinking. “I hope it’s sunny this weekend,” or “I hope my lottery ticket is a winner.” And of course the most futile of hopes, “I hope the Dallas Cowboys make the Super Bowl.” That’s not biblical hope.
Biblical hope is the absolute certainty that God is true and what he says is not a lie. Everything he reveals about himself is true and reliable and ultimately comes to pass.
Hope looks forward
A lot people live miserable lives on the planet earth. People are sick, life expectancy is short, food or housing are hard to come by. The problem in the United States is we have so many good things we get attached to the present.
The Christian life is lived in the present, but it’s always futuristic. It’s always looking toward the day when Jesus will return and remove sin. Then we will celebrate together in his great and glorious kingdom. Hope is the certainty that day will come.
Hope should constantly be put forward as motivation to get us through the day. We live in a world that is broken and sinful, and yet one day Jesus will make everything right. He will take away our sin and wipe away our tears. We will be with him and his people throughout all eternity—it will be amazing.
If you’ve ever spent time with Christians who live in desperate situations, they can almost taste heaven. They look forward to it with such joy and anticipation that totally transcends the typical aspects of their lives.
Don’t get caught up in this world. Love this world, serve this world, and make your life count by God’s grace, but Christian faith is always forward looking.
Hoping, investing in the eternal
Are you hopeful? We tend be way too present and past focused. We forget what it means to look forward to the hope. The real secret of Christian impact is take things that are passing and invest them in things that are eternal. Instead of accumulating a lot of possessions, give generously so more people can meet Jesus. Instead of spending significant amounts of time in relaxation and leisure, invest it in people and the church. Take the gifts God has given you and use them in a way that will have eternal impact.
This is Pastor Dave’s second post on Titus. Read part one here.
